EcoFest is coming to Arlington!
This Saturday, March 28th, at the Arlington Town Hall, join your friends and neighbors from 9 am to 1 pm.
At EcoFest you can:
David Epstein from Channel 5 will speak at 10 am about natural lawn alternatives and sign copies of his book Gardens of New England.
Admission is free.
Co-sponsored by the Arlington Garden Club, the Arlington Public Works Department, the Conservation Commission, and Vision 2020.
EcoFest will be held in the Arlington Town Hall Auditorium from 9 am to 1 pm on March 28, 2009
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Interested in real estate in Arlington? Search for homes and read more about Arlington by real estate agent Elizabeth Bolton. Helping home buyers and sellers in Cambridge, Somerville, Arlington, Belmont, Medford and Watertown.
Real estate for sale signs still make the phone ring even in the internet age - in fact I think most times the phone rings nowadays it's because somebody walked by or drove by a sign. They're not near a computer so they pick up the phone.
This morning's Boston Globe reported that the town of Shirley Massachusetts is attempting to charge real estate offices $25 for every For Sale sign in town. Yikes!
In Cambridge some condo associations forbid signs and you don't see anybody putting up a lot of directional signs leading down the blocks to a property. But a For Sale planted in front of your building? Absolutely. Signs still work and barring building regulations I always encourage sellers to allow one to be installed.
When I read the article my first thought - having once worked in municipal government and processed sign applications - was that the sign is temporary and shouldn't be treated like a permanent sign. Apparantly that was the Shirley real estate community's argument as well but many retorted that, in the current market, for sale signs might not seem so temporary anymore.
Towns are scrambling nowadays to make up budget shortfalls so perhaps this will become a trend. In Shirley the real estate agents attended the selectmen's meeting in protest and a committee has been formed to study the regulations which are now on hold.
There's not a lot of meat on the bone nowadays - for sellers and for real estate agents and companies. Cities and towns are raising other fees that homeowners (or agents!) pay such as smoke alarm inspection fees or fees to get final water and sewer readings.
But the fee for a sign rubs this real estate agent the wrong way. Signs should be regulated - they can often be a blight on the landscape so things like size, lighting and location all need to be controlled. But a for sale sign in my neighbor's yard? I hate to see it become an opportunity to bolster the town coffers.
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Read more about Cambridge real estate by Elizabeth Bolton.
Helping home buyers and sellers in Cambridge, Somerville, Arlington, Belmont, Medford and Watertown.
Cambridge real estate agents often remark that we don't have any cookie cutter real estate in our area. We don't have large developments, and there aren't any tract homes in our neck of the woods. It's part of what makes selling real estate so interesting here - all the houses are different and you never know what to expect. It's also one of the challenges since good comps can more difficult to come by than would be the case if we had neighborhoods filled with similar homes.
But are all the houses unique?
My first eye opener ocurred when I bought my own house in Cambridge. It was weeks before I realized that my house was one of about eight on my block that were probably identical when first built. It wasn't immediately obvious because over the years a dormer had been added here, a porch filled in there, and siding of various sorts added over the decades. But if you looked closely and imagined paring away the alterations - there they were - a matched set circa 1920.
I started looking for other matched sets about town. I love looking at streetscapes since they give so many clues about when a street was developed, who was first on the block, who sold off the side yard and when, etc. The more I looked the more houses I found that came in pairs, or threesomes or more. Many had been altered over the years but a row of similar rooflines or protruding porches all in a row would be the tipoff. It's become a bit of a hobby for me and I'm delighted with every set I find.
Here are some of the matched sets I've snapped around Cambridge and Somerville:
Read more about Cambridge real estate by Elizabeth Bolton.
Helping home buyers and sellers in Cambridge, Somerville, Arlington, Belmont, Medford and Watertown.
Not too long ago I went to a Home Show. I had missed the big show in Boston so went to one in the suburbs. I hoped to get some ideas for my blog posts but no such luck. There was a whole lot of plastic in the exhibitors' booths - from windows to siding - and I was out of my element at the show. In fact, the only booth I really enjoyed was the company that salvages big pieces of old granite for steps and posts and walls.
But now it's time for my kind of Home Show. When the Traditional Building Exhibition and Conference comes to Boston I'll be among my peeps. The Traditional Building Show, held at the Hynes Auditorium & Convention Center in Boston March 12 -14, is the "largest event dedicated to historic restoration, renovation and traditionally-inspired new construction." There's an emphasis on sustainability and on the importance of preservation in urban planning. The show is geared towards architects, contractors, and preservationists but has plenty of interest to the old house owner or enthusiast.
Workshops and seminars include:
Conference registration isn't inexpensive but there are a variety of admission options. And if you can't take the time or spend the money for the conference it's absolutely worth visiting the Exhibit Hall on Friday or Saturday, March 13th and 14th. Admission to the exhibit area is $20 but there's a coupon for free onsite registration or the option to register for free in the advance on the website.
Exhibitors include:
As an old house owner with a long to-do list I'm looking forward to the show!
And if you're not in Boston you'll have another chance to attend when the show comes to Baltimore in October 2009.
An article in today's paper about several boutiques and shops in nearby towns going out of business got me thinking. It's the fun and funky small shops that make a neighborhood shopping district appealing. Local shops, cafes, bookstores, independent businesses of all types - all add up to make a shopping district a destination spot. Every local store that closes threatens to erode the unique character of the neighborhood. Every time another bank or cell phone store moves into the space vacated by a failed independent business, something is lost.
And this should matter to all of us in the neighborhoods where we live and work. Given the choice would you rather live near a strip mall or a bustling Main Street where pedestrians stroll, customers sit at cafe tables outside restaurants, and interesting and unique shops line the block? And since so many people would opt for the latter, it means that local shops are good for neighborhood real estate values as well as quality of life.
Local shops also bolster the local economy. A higher percentage of each dollar spent at a local establishment stays in the local economy. A recent study in Michigan suggests that if shoppers were to shift 10% of their purchases to local businesses it would lead to the creation of over 1,600 jobs and add over $130 million to the local economy.
The Michigan study has led to the "10% shift" movement in New England and across the country. Since I'm not a big fan of encouraging consumption as a patriotic duty I'm happy that buyers aren't being encouraged to shop more - only to shop locally at least 10% of the time.
So the next time you're about to order something online or drive to a big box store consider shopping downtown at your local mom and pop's. And if you want to get involved there's a movement afoot that may have come to your town. My city has a Local First group that actively works to promote local businesses and there's a good chance that your city may too.
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Enthusiasm, dedication, and a passion for all things real estate. Serving buyers and sellers in Cambridge, Arlington, Belmont, Medford, Somerville, Watertown and nearby Massachusetts communities.
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